Walking in the fields beyond the wood I heard a screeching from the direction of the wood. I looked back and saw five Buzzards circling above the tops of the trees. Something had disturbed them. Maybe there had been somebody else in the wood. One of the Buzzards broke away from his mates and decided to check me out by circling above me. It obviously didn't think I was much of a meal, since he flew off along the ridge in the direction of Edwen Heights. That was my destination too and so I followed him.

I crossed the Strines road and headed off on to Barnside Moor. The surrounding heather was a vivid purple. A Kestrel kept me company for a while, occasionally hovering to view any breakfast that might be scampering through the heather. After the undergrowth of Wind Hill and the trek through the woods it was great to have unbroken views over the moors. Cotton wool clouds sauntered their way across the landscape. They were in no rush. It was turning out to be a perfect day for walking.

Pike Lowe

There are the remnants of a World War 2 artillery target practice system on Edwen Heights. It must have been very basic. Targets made out of wood and canvas were winched along a bogie and rail system. Artillery fired at them from the valley below. The brickwork of the winch house can still be seen and also the position of the tracks.

The route between Edwen Heights and the summit of Pike Lowe is over trackless moor and quite a difficult walk. The heather can go thigh deep in places although some areas are easier than others. There is also the knowledge that WW2 ordnance has been occasionally found around this area. Tread lightly.

I waded my way towards the summit of Pike Lowe. The top is surfaced with ankle turning fractured rock, that is often hidden by the heather. For some reason, I always find Pike Lowe's summit a rather sad place. I've been up here many times, but never actually met anybody else. There is a derelict shelter on the top. I sat down for my morning break. I could see a car had driven up the track at Sugden Clough. Somebody got out, opened up the boot and half a dozen dogs jumped out. I hoped the Tweed Trouser Brigade hadn't been released today, since that was my intended descent route.

Langsett

4WD man had disappeared by the time I got to Sugden Clough. I thought he might be parked at the hunting hut a bit further down, but that was deserted too. There are some WW2 targets just beyond the hut. I carried out a quick inspection, and noted the size and quantity of aggregate they used in the concrete part of the construction. Looking at it, I'd guess cement was in short supply during the war. There again, it would be pointless wasting it on something that was, after all, a target.

On reaching Langsett Reservoir I sat down on a bench to have my lunch. A couple came up to me, followed by a youngish girl with a designer pooch. The girl asked the couple the way back to Langsett car park and the man gave some vague directions through the wood.

I set off in the same direction a few minutes later and caught up with the pooch on the road leading from Langsett dam. I couldn't see the young girl, but then I heard her scream to 'sit down' and that I was a 'bad boy'. Instinctively I started crouching downwards, before I realised her instructions were meant for the dog. and not me. She caught up with the dog, leashed it and started stomping off towards Langsett, with the pooches' little legs a blur.

Rheas

At Lop farm I came across a field with a mixture of animals. There were a couple of donkeys; I later found out these were Luke and Willow. In the distance some turkeys were scratching off the days to Christmas on the wooden panel of a shed. The main stars of the show though, were a couple of Rheas. I'd seen some Rheas, in their natural environment, when I'd done some trekking in Argentina. I remembered that they could run remarkably fast, although this pair seemed to be much more sedate. I went up to the high stone wall that separated me from this eclectic mix of animals, and I stooped down to sort out the settings on my camera in order to take a photo. As I stood back up, I came face to face with Luke (or it could have been Willow) directly on the other side of the wall. This spooked Luke (or Willow) and he almost reared up, before running away. This caused an avalanche of chaos as donkeys, rheas and turkeys started running in all directions. Order was soon restored though. I got my photo and moved on. A couple were having a conversation at the end of the bridleway. As I walked past, the woman waved to me, smiled, and said, 'Nice to see you again'. I'd never seen the woman before in my life. I gave an uneasy smile and quickly strode on.

The Underbank reservoir was well down. I spotted the resident Heron. It looked rather uneasy in the exposed basin of the reservoir. Herons, Rheas, Donkeys, Turkeys, Kestrels, Buzzards and Pooches; the walk had been an animal extravaganza.